Something to Talk About
by Misha
Summary: Everyone else left them and somehow they'd ended up together, they just didn't know what to do about it. AlexMer
1. Part One: Every Morning

Something to Talk About  
By Misha

Disclaimer- I don't own "Grey's Anatomy", if I did Derek and Meredith would be together, it belongs to people with a lot more money than me. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me. Thanks.

Author's Notes- This is another new story. It's Alex/Meredith, because there's something fascinating about the idea of that couple. It's set after the second season finale and will explain itself from there. Well, that's all for now, enjoy!

Pairing- Alex/Meredith.

Summery- Everyone else left them and somehow they'd ended up together, they just didn't know what to do about it.

Rating- PG-13

Spoilers- Up to "Losing My Religion".

* * *

Part One- Every Morning

Meredith crawled out of bed and fumbled for her clothes. She really had to stop doing this.

"What time is it?" A sleepy male voice beside her asked.

"Five." Meredith told him as she located her clothes. "I have just enough time to get home nad get dressed before work."

"You could always bring clothes with you, then you wouldn't have to rush." Alex pointed out, sitting up.

Meredith gave him a look. "That's not how this works, Alex, you know that."

Alex shrugged. "I know that you've been waking up here every morning for two weeks and rushing out the door in a hurry."

Meredith couldn't deny that, but at the same time... She didn't wnat to do anything to confuse what it was. She and Alex were having sex. Lots of sex. They were co-workers and they were kind of friends, but nothing else. They _couldn't_ be anything else.

"I have to go." She told him, pulling on her clothes. "I'll see you at work."

"See you." Alex said, giving her an amused look.

Meredith hurried out, wondering how she had gotten herself into this mess. She was having sex with _Alex_. Not once, not twice, but many times and she knew it would probbaly happen again. Because she was an idiot. But of course, she already knew that.

* * *

Alex watched Meredith rush out again and wondered why she made such a big deal out of it. So they were having sex, so what?

They were both consenting adults and it was there decision to make, but try and tell Meredith that. Every morning it was the same story, she rushed out, trying to get home before Izzie and George realized that she was gone, refusing to bring a change of clothes or tell anyone about them.

Alex shrugged, wondering why it even mattered to him. It was just sex, though really great sex, and it shouldn't matter one way or the other if people knew.

Alex thought briefly of Izzie and how she would react, then pushed the thought out of his mind. Izzie didn't care about him, she'd made that perfectly clear, so why should he care about her?

Besides, it's not like she'd ever find out, Meredith was clear on that.

* * *

"Another night with mystery man?" Izzie teased as Meredith came in.

Meredith blushed and shrugged. "He's not really a mystery."

"Yet, you won't tell me who he is." Izzie pointed out.

"I--" Mereidht began.

"I understand." Izzie told her with a smile. "You don't wnat to jinx it." She could understand why Meredith was relunctant to share her new romance, God knows her last few had been disasters.

"Yeah, that's it." Meredith admitted, blushing again. "I know it's silly." 

"No, it's okay." Izzie assured her, though she was dying to know who the guy is. "I know you'll tell me when you're ready."

* * *


	2. Part Two: Dirty Little Secret

Something to Talk About  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One._

Part Two- Dirty Little Secret

Meredith's conversation with Izzie left her feeling bad. Izzie was being so supportive and Meredith was sleeping with her ex-boyfriend. Of course, Izzie had been the one to reject Alex, yet she didn't think Izzie would see it that way.

No, Izzie would feel hurt and betrayed. Which was why Meredith never intended for her to find out.

Besides, it was just sex, nothing else. Really great sex, but just sex. After all, it was _Alex. _How could it be anything other than sex?

Hell, Meredith knew that she should walk away as it was. She shouldn't be sleeping with Alex, yet, somehow night after night she ended up at his apartment having fantastic sex.

Maybe there was something wrong with her. After all, somehow she always ended up having sex with innapropriate men.

She didn't even have the excuse of being drunk this time. She'd been drunk that first night, but none for all the others that had followed. No, sleeping wtih Alex was a conscious choice she had made. One that Meredith didn't know how to stop making.

It would be so much easier if the sex wasn't **really **good. In fact, it was the best sex Meredith had ever had, even better than Derek, for all that thought felt disloyal.

Still, it was true. She was having the best sex of her life with Alex Karev and she didn't know how to walk away from that, no matter how much she knew she should.

* * *

"Do you have any idea who Meredith's mystery guy is?" Izzie asked Christina when she got to work. Her curiosity was getting the better of her and she decided to press Christina for details. After all, Meredith always seemed to tell Christna things first.

Christina shook her head. "No. She hasn't said a word. There's a guy? Are you sure?"

"Positive." Izzie told her. "She's been coming in at 5 a.m every morning for the last two weeks and she doesn't exactly look rested, if you know what I mean."

"And she won't tell you who he is?" Christina asked.

"Nope." Izzie said. "Not a clue. I think she's afraid of jinxing it."

"Well, she doesn't have the best track record." Christina said dryly.

"That's for sure." Izzie agreed, then frowned. "Still, we're her friends, shouldn't she tell us these things?"

"Izzie, you said it yourself, she's probably just afriad of jinxing it." Christina said, then she grinned. "Besides, don't worry, I'll get it out of her."

* * *


	3. Part Three: Ready For A Fall

Something to Talk About  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Three: Ready For A Fall  
  
"So why didn't you tell me you had a new boyfriend?" Christina demanded, coming up behind Meredith.

Meredith whirled around. "How did you...?" She began and then sighed. "Izzie."

"Yep." Christina confirmed. "She wanted to know if I knew anything. Which, of course, I don't."

"I..." Meredith began, not sure what to say.

"Izzie said she figured you didn't want to jinx it." Christina told her. "But, come on, I know you want to tell me."

"Christina, it's not anything serious." Meredith said, feeling a little trapped. 

"Okay, please tell me you're not sleeping with McSleezy again?" Christina demanded, giving her a look.

Meredith smiled at her friends nickname for Derek and shook her head. "No." 

"Thank God." Christina told her and then shrugged. "So why you won't tell us? It can't be that bad. It's not like you're sleeping with Alex."

Meredith froze and looked away.

Christina stared at her. "Oh my God, please tell me you're not sleeping with Alex!"

Meredith closed her eyes. "I can't." She whispered.

Christina just shook her head. "You're sleeping with Alex!"

Meredith nodded. "Yeah." She admitted, she sighed. "Christina... The sex... I've never had better in my life."

Christina made a face. "I **so** did not need to hear that. Meredith, it's Alex, McJackass. He slept with the slutty Syph nurse, remember?" 

"I remember." Meredith said with a sigh. It was something she reminded herself about on a daily basis, but it hadn't changed anything. Besides, it was just sex, so what did it matter that Alex was sleazy? Anyway, Meredith had to admit that she wasn't much better. Maybe they deserved each other.

"How did this happen?" Christina demanded. "How in the Hell did you end up sleeping with _Alex_ of all people?"

"I got drunk at Joe's and he was there." Meredith confessed with a sigh. "Then, I woke up the next morning and instead of leaving, we did it again and... Every night for the last two weeks." 

"All right, that's it." Christina told her. "We are so getting you a chaperone. You are not fit to go out by yourself."

Meredith made a face. She thought that sometimes herself. Usually when things like this happened.

"So Alex is really that good?" Christina asked curiously.

"Oh, yes." Meredith sighed. "Christina... He... It's the best sex I've ever had."

"Better than McSleezy?" Christina asked in awe.

"Yes and no." Meredith told her. "With Derek, there was so much emotion, I loved him, and that makes it different. But on a purely physical level, then yeah, Alex's the best I've ever had and I don't know how to give it up." 

"I've got to hand it to you." Christina told her. "Just when I don't think you can make your life anymore complicated, you go and screw up even more."

Meredith sighed. "Yeah, I know, I'm blessed that way."

* * *

"Hurt her and die."

Alex turned around to see Yang standing there. "What?" He asked, giving her a look.

"You hurt Meredith and I'll kill you." Yang told him. "And we both know I'm serious."

Alex did know that, Christina Yang did not make idle threats. He was surprised that Meredith had told her about them, since she was so determined to keep it a secret. "It's not like that." Alex told her with a shrug. "I don't think I could hurt Meredith."

Yang just shot him a look. "Yeah, well don't go sleeping with any nurses."

"I won't." Alex told her, though he didn't know why he was defending himself to her. His relationship with Meredith, such as it was, was none of her business. But the truth was, he had no desire to sleep with anyone else--not that he had the time, Meredith kept him pretty busy.

"Good." Yang said, making a face. "For the record, I think she's making a huge mistake."

"Thank you." Alex said dryly. "That's so nice to hear." 

"You're an ass, Alex." Yang told him quietly. "You're selfish and arrogant and Meredith makes bad decisions, we all know that. In the end, somehow, she's going to get hurt and it's going to be your fault and then, I'm going to make you pay." 

With that she turned and walked away. Alex stared after her, thinking about what she had said. He knew that Meredith was vulnerable, in fact he thought he understood her better than most people and he didn't want to add to that vulnerability.

Alex shook his head. It was just sex, Meredith had made that clear to him a hundred times, no one was going to get hurt. It was just a little bit of fun.

* * *

"Had an interesting conversation with Yang today." Alex said casually that night after Meredith arrived at his apartment, a bottle of tequila and some Chinese food in hand.

She'd also packed a change of clothing. She was sick of rushing out the door every morning, besides it's not like she was really hiding anything. Izzie and George knew she had a lover, they just didn't know who and her spending the whole night at Alex's wouldn't change what they already knew or give anything way. She was just being practical, it didn't mean that this was a relationship or anything.

"Sorry about that." Meredith told him. She didn't even need to know what Christina said to him, to know that saying sorry was in order. 

"What happened to keeping this a secret?" Alex asked, taking the Chinese food from her and setting it on the coffee table.

"She guessed." Meredith told him. "Izzie knows I'm seeing someone and she talked to Christina and Christina sort of hit the nail on the head."

"Whatever." Alex told her. "You're the one that wants to keep this a secret, not me. I'm cool with this being out in the open."

"You'd be cool with Izzie knowing?" Meredith asked in disbelief, even as they started to eat.

"It's not like she gives a damn about me." Alex told her. "I'm a big boy, I'm allowed to date who I want to."

"We're not dating." Meredith told him.

"No, we're not." Alex agreed. "But we're doing something. Now can we stop talking about Izzie and Yang?"

"Sure." Meredith agreed and Alex gathered her into his arms. "What about the food?" She asked as he leaned down to kiss her.

"We can eat later." He told her, kissing her passionately. "I'm not hungry. For food that is." With that, he lifted her up in his arms and carried her out of the living room and towards the bedroom.

* * *


	4. Part Four: Letting Go

Something to Talk About  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Four: Letting Go

_A Week Later  
_  
Izzie watched Alex across the cafeteria. "He's seeing someone." She said, her eyes glued to him.

"What makes you think that?" Meredith asked, looking kind of uncomfortable.

Izzie shrugged. "I can just tell. Alex gets this look when he has his eye on a woman. Not in a screw her and forget her way, but in a really interested way."

"Why do you care?" Christina asked her, shoving food into her mouth. "I thought you were over Evil Spawn."

"I am." Izzie assured her. "I'm just curious as to who the misfortunate soul is." 

"Whoever she is, I'm sure she can handle him." Meredith said, not meeting Izzie's eyes.

Izzie frowned. "I guess so. I feel sorry for her though, who knows how long it'll be before he's cheating on _her_ with some slutty nurse." 

Meredith looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Why do you even care?" She asked after a moment.

"I don't." Izzie insisted, finally tearing her eyes away from Alex. Yet, for some reason, despite her protests, it still bothered Izzie that Alex could be really, truly interested in someone else.

It was one thing if he was just screwing random women, but to see him really interested in someone else, whoever she may be? That was hard. Harder than she wanted to admit.

After all, she had broken up with Alex, she had walked away from him, she shouldn't give a damn what he did, but... Somehow, the idea of Alex actually moving on, of possibly falling for someone else... That really bothered her, for all that she knew she was being a hypocrite.

Izzie sighed, there was nothing she could do with it. She hadn't wanted to be with Alex, so it was natural that he'd find someone who did.

She was just grateful that at least it wasn't anyone she knew. Because that was one thing she knew she couldn't handle. No way.

* * *

Derek watched Meredith talking to Christina, she was smiling and happy. Happier than she'd looked in a while. Since at least before Prom.

Derek still felt bad about that, about what had happened between them, but... Addison was his wife. He'd made vows and he had to honour them. No matter how much he loved Meredith.

Still, telling her that hadn't been easy. He'd felt like the scum of the Earth. She'd been happy, with Finn, and he'd ruined that and then abandoned her all over again.

But, now she looked happy again. Derek wondered what had put that smile on her face, whether it was a man. He thought it was. He could recognise it.

"Meredith." He said, approaching the pair before he could stop himself.

The look disappeared almost instantly.

"Dr. Shepherd." She acknowledged coldly.

Yang just looked at him with steely eyes.

"I need someone to scrub in." He said, directing it at Meredith.

"Grey, Bailey needs you in the pit." Alex said, coming up to the trio.

Meredith smiled at him. "Thanks." She walked away without a second word, Karev trailing behind her.

Derek watched them go for a second, frowning slightly. There had been something in that smile, in the way Karev had come to her rescue, the split second look that had passed between them.

Derek shook his head. No way. He was imagining things. Someone might be making Meredith smile again, but there was no way it was Alex Karev. There was just no way.

* * *


	5. Part Five: Free Falling

Something to Talk About  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Five: Free Falling

"Dinner at my place?" Alex whispered, coming up behind Meredith.

In the last week, their relationship had kind of changed. It was still a secret, but it no longer felt like a dirty affair. She stayed the whole night, they ate together, watched movies. Normal stuff. Almost couple-like stuff, but neither of them were willing to admit that.

"Izzie knows you're sleeping with someone." Meredith said quietly.

Alex stiffened. "So?" He asked after a moment.

"She was jealous." Meredith told him. "Maybe..."

"No." Alex said, cutting her off. He didn't even want to go there. "Izzie made her feelings clear. She told me, she didn't want me in her life and I'm respecting her wishes."

The funny part was, hearing that Izzie was jealous didn't effect him the away he thought it would.

"So, dinner?" He asked, flashing Meredith his trademark grin.

She looked at him for a long moment, then smiled. "Dinner sounds great." She told him sincerely. "Thanks for rescuing me earlier, you know with--"

"Not a problem." Alex told her. "Shepherd has no right trying to draw you back in like that."

What he didn't say was that he hadn't done it just to extract her from a tricky situation. When he come up and seen Shepherd smiling at her like that, looking at her with his "McDreamy" look... He hadn't liked it. Not one little bit.

"Chinese or Italian?" Meredith asked, after a moment, obviously not wanting to talk about Derek or Izzie any more than Alex did.

"Thai." Alex counted with a grin.

"Ooh, spicy." Meredith said with a smile. "Let me finish up here and then we can go."

Alex nodded and followed her into the change room, grinning at the idea of the evening that awaited him. Good food and a gorgeous woman, life just didn't get any better.

* * *

"I hate these sheets." Meredith commented later that night as they were lying in bed. 

"How old are these things?" Alex shrugged. "I got them in college."

Meredith made a face. "How do men do that? How do you not go buy new sheets."

"Why bother?" Alex asked, gently tracing his fingers over her stomach. "That takes time and I have better things to do with my time."

"You need new sheets." Meredith told him, cuddling up to him.

"If it bothers you so much, you go buy them." Alex told her.

"What if I do?" Meredith asked with a smile. "Would you use them?"

"Yeah." Alex said with a shrug. "Why not?"

"Fine, then I'll go buy you sheets." Meredith told him. "Nice ones."

In the back of her head there was a little voice giving off warning signs, but... What was the harm in buying Alex sheets that weren't old and gross? After all, she was sleeping on them on a regular basis.

"You realize when we get new sheets, we'll need to break them in." Alex said with a grin, moving to capture her mouth with his. "And, I mean, we might as well get as much use out of the old ones..."

"Sounds good to me." Meredith agreed, giggling as Alex maneuvred it so that he was on top of her.

"Good." Alex said and then he kissed her again, deep and passionate, as his hands explored her naked and body and all conversation was put on hold for some time...

* * *


	6. Part Six: Breathless

Something to Talk About  
By Misha

_Authorís Notes and Disclamer in Part One.  
_  
Part Six: Breathless

"I bought Alex sheets." Meredith told Christina a couple days later. "Before I came in today I went shopping and I bought him nice, new sheets."

"You bought him sheets?" Christina asked in disbelief. "I thought this was just sex. Sex doesn't involve shopping."

"His sheets were gross." Meredith said, defending herself. "They were awful and he wouldn't buy new ones. So I did it for him."

Christina just shook her head. "You're getting involved Meredith. You're getting involved with _Alex_?"

"I am not." Meredith said. "Well, I am, btu only in that I'm sleeping with him. It's not like a real relationship or anything."

"You keep telling yourself that." Christina said with a smirk. "Did you ever buy McDreamy sheets?"

"No." Meredith said flatly. "But his sheets didn't suck." She knew that there was a line she was crossing with Alex, she was aware of that, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Besides, buying him sheets wasn't that big of a deal, was it?

"You're getting involved." Christina said, shaking her head. "With Alex. Dr. Evil Spawn. Don't you see how bad an idea this is?"

"It's just sheets." Meredith said with a sigh. "Nice sheets." 

She had put a lot of care into it. Which she knew was also a warning sign--she could have just bought him the first set of sheets she saw, but she didn't.

Meredith shook her head, she wasn't going to think about it. _Any _of it. She was just going to go with the flow, it was all she could do, since thinking about it might make her go crazy...

* * *

Alex had to admit that the new sheets were a lot nicer than the old ones. He especially liked how Meredith looked on them, her naked body nestled between his new, soft sheets.

"Thank you for the sheets." He said huskily, giving her a long, slow kiss. "I don't think I've adequately expressed my appreciation."

"Hmm..." Meredith said with a seductive smile. "Maybe we should remedy that."

Alex moved so that he was leaning over her, their bodies not quite touching. There was something sexy about the two of them having sex on the sheets she had bought for him.

Alex had never had a woman buy him sheets before and while part of him wondered if he should be running, it seemed like such a couple thing, except it didn't bother him at all. In fact, he liked the fact that Meredith cared enough to buy him sheets, there was something very intimate about that.

Just then, Meredith shifted and pulled him towards her so that he was nestled against her warm, willing body. All thoughts of sheets flew from Alex's mind and were instead replaced by much more primal thoughts.

* * *


	7. Part Seven: If I Fall

Something to Talk About  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Seven: If I Fall

"Izzie says you have a new boyfriend." George said awkwardly the next morning.

Meredith had the day off so she came home to get a few things done. "Yes." Meredith said distractedly, though she wondered if she could really call Alex her boyfriend. Maybe it was more than sex, but it wasn't like they were really _together._

"Are you ever going to let us meet him?" George asked her, obviously uncomfortable. "I mean, this is your house, you shouldn't have to leave and we're your friends and..."

"Izzie asked you to quiz me, huh?" Meredith asked with a smile. She knew it was too much to hope that Izzie would just give up and let it go.

"Yeah." George admitted, looking even more uncomfortable. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Meredith assured him. "George, it's still too new, it's too soon..."

"You really like this guy, huh?" George asked softly. Meredith looked at him and she didn't see in his face except genuine interest. It seemed that Callie had cured him of his Meredith-thing and had healed the damage her very bad thing had done. Though, she didn't think it would last if he knew exactly _who_ she was seeing.

"Yeah." Meredith said softly, before she could stop herself. "I really do."

She froze as soon as she said the words, realizing that they were true. She did care about Alex and not just as a friend and a fellow screw-up or even as someone she was just sleeping with...

Suddenly, it hit her. Somehow, she had gotten attached. To Alex. Meredith raised her hand in horror. What had she done and what was she going to do about it?

* * *

"Izzie sicced George on me this morning." Meredith complained to Christina. "She wants to know who I'm sleeping with."

"Do you think she suspects that it's Dr. Evil Spawn?" Christina asked. She still wasn't sure that she approved, or rather was pretty sure she didn't, but she had to admit that Meredith seemed happier than she had in a long time. Somehow, Alex was making her happy.

"No." Meredith said quietly. "If she even _thought _I was sleeping with Alex, she'd be throwing a hissy fit, you know that."

"True." Christina agreed.

Izzie could be a selfish little bitch sometimes and she might not want Alex, but there was no way she'd be okay with the fact that Meredith had him now. No, that was just a disaster waiting to happen.

"She's going to find out eventually." Christina pointed out. "Have you thought about that?"

"She didn't want him." Meredith said quietly. "She threw him away, told him that he wasn't good enough for her, wasn't good enough for anyone. She doesn't get to call dibs now."

"She won't see it that way." Christina said dryly. "Are you willing to deal with a pissed off Izzie, just for good sex?"

"Yes." Meredith answered, without hesitating. "Izzie has no right to tell me who I can sleep with and she has no right to decide who Alex sleeps with."

"You're the one that lives with her." Christina said dryly.

"It's my house." Meredith said calmly. "If she can't keep herself out of my personal life, if she decides to be difficult, then..."

"You'd kick Izzie out over Alex?" Christina asked in disbelief. "Only if I had to." Meredith said quietly. "My life is **my** concern, not anyone else's and Izzie... She has no right to Alex, not after the way she treated him and if it comes up I _will_ tell her that. But who knows, maybe it won't. After all, there's no reason she has to find out about this thing between Alex and I, right?"

"Right." Christina agreed dryly, though she didn't believe that for a moment and she doubted that Meredith did. No, it was all going to come out, probably soon, and it was _going_ to be ugly.

That was a given.

* * *


	8. Part Eight: As the World Falls Down

Something to Talk About  
By Misha

Part Eight: As the World Falls Down

_Two Weeks Later_

George was at the hospital, working his shift. It was a quiet night and he was bored. Izzie and Christina were there as well, but both Meredith and Alex had the night off.

Izzie was driving him crazy, still obsessed with finding out who Meredith was seeing. George thought it was to keep herself from trying to figure out who Alex was seeing. He had to admit that he was a little curious, only because Meredith had seemed so much happier lately, but he also knew that if Meredith wanted to keep it private that was her business. He wasn't going to push her.

Just then, he was jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of ambulances. He ran out to meet them, wondering where Christina and Izzie were--neither of them would want to miss them. Apparently, there had been a bad car accident. He saw them running out a second later, but he paid them no attention. He saw the attending making there way as well.

"Two cars, bad collision, one ran a red light ad slammed into the other." The EMT told them all.

"How many victims?" Bailey asked, coming up behind George.

"Only three, but its bad." The EMT told him. "Male and female in one car, both late twenties or early thirties, and a male in his late fifties in the other car."

Just then the victims were wheeled out, Bailey assigning each of the interns a patient. George ran over to his and then froze, as he looked down at the face of the woman in the gurney. It was Meredith.

"George." She whispered, looking up at him.

"I'm here." George said, not sure what else to say. Meredith tried to smile, but it seemed like that was too much for her. She looked really, really bad.

A second later, he heard Izzie scream. "Stevens, what's the problem?" Bailey asked, going over to her.

"It's Alex." George heard her wail. "It's_ Alex_!"

George froze, looking down at Meredith. They had been together. Meredith and Alex. The man Meredith was seeing was _Alex_. He took in a deep breath, oh yeah, this was definitely bad. That was for sure.

"O'Malley, get moving." The Chief barked and then he froze, recognizing the patient. "Oh, no."

George nodded, still trying to process everything. This was definitely not good.

* * *

Izzie stood in the waiting room, pacing, trying to cope with all the emotions running through her. Meredith and Alex were both in surgery to try and save their lives.

Meredith and Alex had been together. They were sleeping together. Alex was Meredith's mystery man. _Alex_, of all people.

She couldn't believe it. How could Meredith do that to her? How could she betray her like that, they were supposed to be friends? No wonder she wouldn't tell her, she must have felt so ashamed.

"How could she do this to me?" She wondered out loud.

"What did you just say?" Christina demanded, whirling around to look at her.

They had all been banned from the operating room and Bailey had ordered them to wait, figuring they'd be useless anywhere else. So the three of them were there.

Burke was working on Alex, while Bailey and Dr. Kramer, another neurosurgeon, were working on Meredith. The Chief was pacing the observatory deck, which the interns had been banned from. Shepherd had been banned as well and had taken off somewhere.

"I wondered how Meredith could betray me like that." Izzie stated defiantly.

Christina and George both stared at her. "Meredith's fighting for her _life_." Christina reminded her angrily. "And all you can say is that she betrayed you? Do you even care that she might _die_?"

Izzie blushed, realizing how she had sounded. Yet, as horrible as it was, she still felt betrayed. She felt bad about Meredith being in an accident, but that didn't make what she did right.

Besides, it was easier to think about being mad at Meredith then to think about the fact that Alex might die... Izzie couldn't handle that thought, that she'd lose him like she lost Denny, there was so much she wanted to tell him...

* * *

Derek paced outside the hospital. He had been ordered out of the OR, but he didn't want to wait in the waiting room with the interns either. Meredith was fighting for her life.

She might die and he couldn't do anything about it. Whether she lived or died, he had walked away from her. Had hurt her so many times.

Yet, here he was being torn apart inside not just because he might lose her, but because she had been with Alex Karev at the time of her accident, she was sleeping with Alex Karev.

Derek could barely believe it, yet... He'd seen that look, questioned it and then dismissed it, because he hadn't thought Meredith would really go there, but apparently she had.

"I thought I'd find you out here." Derek turned to see Addison standing there, watching him.

"I needed air." He said quietly.

"You still love her." Addison stated quietly. "After all this, that's what it comes down to. You picked me, you decided to stay with me, but... You can't stop loving her, can you?"

"Addison, I can't do this right now." Derek told her, he just didn't have the energy to hash it out. Not while Meredith was fighting fo her life.

Addison sighed. "It's okay. I know the answer... I think, I've known it all along, I just didn't want to admit it. It's okay, Derek, you don't have to pretend any more, I concede defeat."

With that, she turned and walked away from him. Derek watched her go, wondering if he should call her back, but he was sick of fighting.

He had tried his hardest to save his marriage, but the truth was it had been over long before Addison had slept with Mark, all they'd done was prolong the inevitable and cause themselves a lot more pain.

Derek cursed himself, if only he had walked away earlier, like after the prom then he and Meredith would be together and she wouldn't be fighting for her life...

* * *


	9. Part Nine: Rain Down on Me

Something to Talk About  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Nine: Rain Down on Me

Alex opened his eyes and blinked, trying to figure out where he was. He saw Izzie standing over him and realized that there were tubes coming out of him.

"Iz?" He asked slowly, forcing himself to form the words.

"You're awake!" She exclaimed, tears in her eyes. "Thank God!"

Suddenly, it rushed back to Alex, the accident... He remembered the other car running the red light and trying to swerve out of his way, but nothing after that point.

"Meredith?" He demanded in terror.

Izzie's face clouded. "She's still in surgery." She said flatly.

"Karev, you gave us all quite a scare." Burke said, coming into Alex's line of view.

"How bad?" Alex asked, though given that he felt like he had been hit by a train...

"You suffered a punctured lung as well as some internal damage, but we were able to patch you up pretty quick." Burke told him quietly. "You're very lucky."

"And Meredith?" Alex asked again.

"She's still in surgery." Burke told him, repeating Izzie's words. "She... She was in bad shape when she came in, but they're working on her."

Alex understood all to well what Burke wasn't saying. Meredith didn't look good and they weren't sure if she'd make it. Alex felt his pain magnify a million times, if something happened to Meredith...

Alex couldn't even bare the thought. He wasn't sure what Meredith was to him, but he knew it was a lot more than the original casual bargain. She was special and Alex knew that he couldn't stand the thought of losing her...

* * *

Izzie felt like she had been slapped at the look on Alex's face as he asked about Meredith.

He was in love with her. Izzie could read it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. Somehow, that made it worse than the idea of it just being sex, the thought that Meredith and Alex might have something real. That wasn't supposed to happen. Alex was supposed to be _hers_.

"You need some rest." She heard Burke instruct Alex. "We'll be back in a little while."

"If there's any word on Mer..." Alex began.

"We'll let you know." Burke promised and then strode out of the room, leaving Izzie no choice but to fall. She wanted to stay with Alex, hold his hand and tell him how thankful she was that he was alive and yet...

"How's Alex?" George asked, coming up behind her.

"What is it about her?" Izzie asked, ignoring his question. "What sort of magical power does she have that you all fall in love with her?"

George stared at her, obviously taken aback by her questions. "Alex?" He asked hesitantly.

"Oh, yeah." Izzie asked bitterly. "I'm not even sure he knows it yet, but it was right there, plain as daylight. The Meredith Grey phenomenon strikes again."

"You broke up with him." George said quietly. "Ex_cuse_ me?" Izzie asked, taken aback.

"You broke up with Alex." George repeated. "So you don't get to act wounded because he's in love with Meredith and certainly not now when we don't know if she'll live or die. Or at least you don't get to do it to me."

With that George turned and walked away from her.

Izzie stared after him, not at all used to George speaking to her that. _What _was it Meredith that made everyone act like that about her?

* * *


	10. Part Ten: Every Single Heartbeat

Something to Talk About  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Ten: Every Single Heartbeat

"Meredith's out of surgery." Miranda told her interns, who all turned to look at her with hopeful eyes, except Stevens who just looked sulky.

"How is she?" O'Malley asked right away, clinging to Torres' hand. 

"She's... It's still touch and go." Miranda said quietly, not bothering sugar-coating it. "The next few hours are critical."

There was silence at her words.

"I told Karev I'd give him an update." Burke said after a moment. "He'll want to know."

"I'll do it." Yang volunteered, still looking stricken.

"Christina?" Miranda called out as the other woman stood to go.

"Yes?" Yang asked, turning to look at her.

"Meredith, does she have any family who should be called?" Miranda asked, figuring Christina would be the one to ask. "I know her mother's... Not available... But, if there's anyone else, they should be here." 

"They are." George answered before Christina could. "We're Meredith's family. We're all she has."

Miranda nodded, somehow she had expected that. "Okay, then." She said with a nod. "It's... It might be a while before we know anything."

"We aren't going anywhere." Christina said quietly. "Not until we know she'll be okay." 

"All right." Miranda said, with a nod. She felt that way herself, there was no way she could leave until she knew that Meredith, one of hers, one of her pesky interns, would be all right. Miranda wasn't sure anyone in this room would ever be okay again if she wasn't...

* * *

"She's out of surgery." Christina said quietly, appearing in the doorway. "They don't know... They don't know anything else yet." 

"Thanks." Alex said quietly. "Keep... Keep me posted?"

He looked at Christina and saw the strain in her eyes, she was barely keeping it together. It was weird, seeing the calm and composed Christina Yang, so detached and so in control, falling apart in front of his eyes. But, he understood the feeling all too well. "Christina?"

"Yes." She asked, pausing at the door.

"Can you... Stay for a few minutes?" He asked. "I... I don't want to be alone." 

It was weird, but he wanted her company. They weren't friends, he wasn't really sure they even liked each other all that much, but...

Right now, she was the only person who could really understand. They were both damaged and screwed up and had erected a lot of barriers and somehow Meredith had broke through them... She made them both care.

Christina paused and then nodded. "Sure." She sat down in the chair and didn't say anything, just stared at the wall, btu that was okay.

It wasn't conversation that Alex needed, it was just not to be alone. Not now, not when Meredith might die, he couldn't handle that news all alone and he knew that Christina felt the same.

* * *

Burke went outside, where he found Richard pacing.

"I used to change her diapers." Richard said softly. "When she was a baby, I'd hold her and play with her and... She was the prettiest little girl I've ever seen."

Burke didn't know what to say, he wasn't used to seeing Richard like this. "Richard..." He started quietly and then trailed off.

"Part of me thinks I should call her father, but... He has no right to be here." Richard stated. "He walked away from her without looking back. At least I looked back."

Burke rose an eyebrow, wondering exactly what Richard was getting at. Though, he had a few suspicions.

"I did the right thing, I still believe that, but I do have regrets." Richard said softly. "Regret that I hurt Ellis and especially that that little girl got hurt, so many times. She was the innocent and she got hurt the most." 

Preston stayed quiet, since he knew that Richard just needed to talk, to get things out for himself.

"Now, she's in there, in my hospital, clinging to her life." Richard said softly. "And there's nothing I can do to help her, just like I couldn't, knew I shouldn't, do anything to stop her from being hurt all those years ago."

"Richard..." Preston said again. "She'll be okay."

He didn't know whether or not that was true, it had been a difficult surgery and her condition... Well, it wasn't great. Preston had to admit that he was worried as much as anyone else, if Meredith died...

Well, Preston was sure that at least few people would never recover... After, all she meant a lot to a lot of people.

* * *


	11. Part Eleven: Bleed Like Me

Something to Talk About  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Eleven: Bleed Like Me

"She might die." Izzie stated softly, coming up behind Derek. He turned around stricken.

"Yes," he said flatly, "she might."

"She might die and all I can think is how angry I am with her." Izzie confessed. "I can't think that she's fighting for her life--all I can think is that she stole Alex. Except, she didn't, but..."

"I threw her away." Derek said softly. "I let her down, once again, and... Now, I know its too late, even if she lives... Its too late and I hate myself for it and I even hate her."

He wasn't sure why he was pouring it out to Izzie Stevens, of all people, he'd never really liked the other girl all that much, but...

"I... I kept pushing Alex away." Izzie confessed. "I told him he wasn't good enough for me or for anyone... I just, I was angry, but... I expected him to be there waiting when I was ready and now... Now he's in love wit her."

"It's hard not to be." Derek said quietly. "There's just something about her that draws you in and makes you love her, before you even realize what's happening."

It had been like that for him and he was sure the same was true for Alex Karev, that the other man hadn't even realized he'd loved her until it was too late to do anything about it. Perhaps even too late for Meredith.

No, Derek wasn't going to let himself think like that.

Meredith was going to be okay, even if it meant that she was going ot be with Alex Karev, instead of with him. He'd rather face a life where she was in love with someone else, than a life without her in it at all.

* * *

George was trying to hold himself together.

Izzie had taken herself to God knows where, Alex and Christina were holding vigil in his room, Shepherd had disappeared, Burke and Bailey were working, the Chief was held up in his office, and Callie had gone back to work, so it was just him in the waiting room.

He could join Alex and Christina, but he felt like an outsider to their grief, which was silly because he loved Meredith too. He was trying to think of what he could do to help her and he couldn't think of anything, all he could do was sit there like an idiot, waiting for word on one of his best friends.

Just then Burke entered the waiting room. "Where's everyone else?" He asked.

"Christina's with Alex, everyone else took off." George explained. "Is there word on Meredith?"

Burke nodded. "Yes. She pulled through the worst of it and she's stable. Tentatively, I'd say that she's going to be okay."

George let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

"Yes." Burke agreed. "We should be thanking him a lot."

"You should go tell Christina and Alex." George told him. "They'll want to know."

"Yes." Burke agreed and disapeared down the hall.

George just sat there, unable to hold back tears. It was okay. She was going to be okay. Of course, things were going to be messy, especially with Izzie, but there lives were messy. In the end all that really mattered was that she was going to be ok.

* * *

Alex felt his heart stop in his chest when Burke entered the room. He was praying for good news, but being a pessimist, he was expecting bad news.

"She's stable." Burke told him. "She's made it through the roughest patch and she should make it through the rest."

Alex was so relieved that he almost started to weep. Meredith was going to be ok.

Christina squeezed his hand. "Did you here that?" She whispered. "She's going to be ok!"

Alex nodded and squeezed back. Tomorrow he and Christina would go back to sniping at each other, he was sure, but right now they were bonded by their relief over Meredith's well being.

Neither of them noticed Burke leave the room, they were so caught up in their own emotions. Alex had so many things running through his head, things he'd only just realized and that he was so grateful that he'd have a chance to tell Meredith. Like how much she meant to him, how the idea of a world without her terrified him.

Maybe, what he and Meredith had had started out as casual, but it wasn't anymore. At least not for him.

Alex was terrified at the thought that she wouldn't share his feelings, but he could live with that pain, as long as he knew for sure that she was going to be okay. Because, if he'd learnt anything today it was that he couldn't bear the thought of living in a world without Meredith Grey in it.

* * *


End file.
